He came to Jesus. John 3:1-13 A contrast between those Jesus did not commit Himself to and Nicodemus begins the teaching of the new birth—a entirely new life principle. The Lord could commit Himself to this seeker who had knowledge of the Old Testament and could teach the law himself, but knowledge and salvation are very different. When a person searches for God and truth, the time of day doesn't matter, nor does it make any difference to the Savior. The Lord Jesus Christ could easily identify someone He could commit Himself to, as opposed to curiosity seekers. This man came with an open mind and heart, with unasked questions the Lord Jesus already knew. In this face-to-face encounter with the Lord, Nicodemus was immediately introduced to the new principle of life necessary to be in the kingdom of God.
Nicodemus came at night seeking answers, though he was used to giving them. He had spent his life searching for a kingdom that would be restored. In his own mind, he believed a king would be like any other ruler of a nation on Earth. He was mentally and spiritually limited to earthly things, confined to earth-bound thoughts and beliefs. Nicodemus wanted the kingdom on earth to be ruled by God and His people, the Jews. He hoped it would unite the scattered nation, dispersed for hundreds of years. He wanted Israel to be restored, like in the time of David and Solomon, to be the leading nation, even though they were under Roman rule at the time. Nicodemus knew God’s Word and plans, but that was not salvation.
He would have known about the kingdom of God because he likely taught that subject to others. So, the Lord starts with him on familiar ground. Nicodemus would have thought that God would rule the kingdom of God, restored here on earth with the Jews as God's people. Jesus revealed to him in one sentence a whole new principle of life that is necessary to be in the kingdom of God. Entering the kingdom is a personal matter open to all people of the world who have been born again. This was completely new to Nicodemus, as it is also to many people living today.
We need to be prepared to introduce inquirers we contact to the basics of faith by connecting with them through familiar areas of their lives. For some reason, people struggle to understand spiritual life. Some say the physical act of infant baptism places people in the kingdom of God. Others claim baptism by immersion does the same. Some are instructed in various physical ways that supposedly put them in the kingdom. Everyone has experienced physical life, but many, like Nicodemus, confuse the flesh with the spirit. Jesus clearly distinguished them when He explained the truth of the new birth to Nicodemus.
Earthly things are driven by only earthly reasons; they focus on “Up with man” and a nod to God. Even religion, as taught by leaders, can cause a nation to become blind and lost. Aside from the new birth and God’s salvation, seeking answers to divine truth never comes solely through earthly things, and the questioning darkness still remains. Heavenly things are understood through the faith of one born of the Spirit and the incorruptible Word of God. Everyone in the kingdom of God enters it personally by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Knowledge alone cannot save a person. It is not the path to salvation, though it can help with understanding. The Spirit of God reveals Christ, and the scriptures provide the foundation for our faith.
When a person is born again, they are born again by the Spirit of God. Life comes from a Person, not an action. The doctrine of the new birth is taught in the book of 1st John. The Holy Spirit is referred to in John 7 as the water, and it would be consistent with that to say that in this text, the statement would mean born of water, "even" the Spirit. New birth can be testified to in baptism, but baptism is not the means of the new birth. The Holy Spirit is the One who gives life to a person who is spiritually dead in trespasses and sins.
Entering the kingdom of God was a work of God then and is open to every person today regardless of their ethnic background—repentance of sin to God and faith in Christ for salvation leads to a new birth. The Holy Spirit works in ways we cannot control. In His convicting power, He interacts with people in ways that reach each individual's conscience when He convicts them of sin, righteousness, and the judgment to come. Also, in ways we may never anticipate, the Spirit brings the light of life to those who previously could never grasp the meaning of the Word of God.
The realm of spiritual life and its reality is unfamiliar to most people's thinking. Many believe it is simply a deeper understanding of the natural things happening around them. The confusion between "soulishness" and what is truly spiritual is often unrecognized. The spiritual life that the Holy Spirit gives us is the life of God within us, so that we might know Him and love Him.
Nicodemus had only seen earthly things before. Now, the Lord had his attention and expanded his understanding of what he didn't know. He could then explain to the seeker the only way into God's kingdom. The Lord knew Nicodemus was thinking about an earthly kingdom and wondered if this Man who had "come from God" would establish the earthly kingdom he was waiting for. The kingdom of God is a heavenly kingdom entered through the new birth. So, the Lord Jesus Christ told him about heavenly things, because He was qualified to teach them since He was from heaven and had come down to earth. In a very remarkable statement, the Lord speaks of His omnipresence. He ascended into heaven by His own divine power, and even though He was on earth, He was also in heaven.
The kingdom of God will come. Actually, it is already here and present in the new nature created in the hearts of many. A new birth is necessary to be part of the kingdom of God. The Spirit of God puts people into it through His regenerating power. Repentance and rebirth go together; one cannot exist without the other. Everyone in the kingdom of God has one thing in common: God is their Father, and they possess divine life. Nicodemus, like everyone else, had to look beyond earthly things to understand what the kingdom of God is. The renewal of new life is not limited to one nation but extends to all nations, where those who accept heavenly truths by faith and are willing to accept God’s salvation personally become part of it.
The Lord Jesus was not limited in His nature and human character. He was always and will always be God. He is the eternal Son, and the self-imposed limitations He took upon Himself as the God-Man did not diminish His power or His nature. When the Lord spoke with Nicodemus in this face-to-face meeting, He was able to reach his intellect and make him think about a whole area of truth he had not previously considered.
We can learn a valuable lesson from this meeting. The people we interact with who do not know Christ as their personal Savior are blinded by sin, and their minds need to be awakened to spiritual truths. Intellectual understanding is not the same as being born again, but it can open the door to reaching the heart. After this introduction, the Lord Jesus clearly and precisely presented the Gospel to Nicodemus, summarizing the truth in John chapter 3 in a way that has been effective for many people since then. We should focus on helping people open their minds to God's truth before pointing them to the sacrifice of Christ and faith in Him, who grants eternal life.